


The Book of Light and Shadow

by WarpedHatter888



Series: Book One: Water [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-05 03:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1804318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarpedHatter888/pseuds/WarpedHatter888
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone knew how the story ended. Avatar Korra brought in a new era, of spirit and human living side by side, of two worlds with doors that were ever open to each other. Everyone knew that Avatar Korra would live on to do many wonderful and brave deeds. And naturally, everyone knew how Avatar Korra died. </p><p>After an epic battle of Light versus Darkness, Rava and Vaatu are reborn once more. This is the story of the new Avatar and the new Dark Avatar. The same year a boy and girl are born with the ability to bend all four elements. But where does Vaatu's darkness lurk? And what has the world become without an Avatar to guide it during the years?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Book of Light and Shadow

Book One: Water

Everyone knew how the story ended. Avatar Korra brought in a new era, of spirit and human living side by side, of two worlds with doors that were ever open to each other. Everyone knew that Avatar Korra would live on to do many wonderful and brave deeds. And naturally, everyone knew how Avatar Korra died.  
There was a boy. He was born on the day the Dark Avatar, Chief Unalaq died. A boy born in the Earth Kingdom, who was raised in secret by those who opposed the Avatar, for this boy, was unlike any other. This boy would bend the four elements. He mastered them quickly, with masters that came from around the world to see him. His glory was something terrifying and powerful to behold. There were times he seemed an ordinary child, an ordinary earth bender. But at others he spoke in a voice that was ten thousand years older than his fragile body. His eyes would shine and energy would come from him that was great and terrible to behold.  
Dark spirits emerged in the Earth kingdom. Whispers travelled from the West and Avatar Korra knew she could turn a blind eye no longer. The two of them battled many times. Light versus darkness, the sun fighting against a shadow that grew stronger every year. Korra was in her prime, but the boy was powerful, quicker and more ferocious. The dark forces that consumed his body held a tug on him that drove him mad. The last time they fought, the world trembled as their spirits of light and darkness clashed within them.  
The boy was lost in the darkness in their final battle. Vaatu’s hold on him was what killed him in the end. His body was not trained, not powerful enough to contain the dark spirit’s hold on him. It tore him to pieces. In the end it was Avatar Korra’s mercy that killed her as she tried to save the boy. The battle consumed both of them. It was said that in the boy’s last moments, he became himself again and he wept. It was also said that as they did, Avatar Korra held his hand. Their bodies lay still on the field of battle as light and darkness were once again, reborn.

*

Chapter One

It was dark in the caves. Rin woke up because the little kids were shivering beside her. She crawled closer to them, tugging the blankets over Shu and Taka. She tucked Tayo back in, he had once again kicked his blankets off. She crawled blindly towards the fire that had gone out. She closed her eyes, letting out a gentle breath. She felt it in her belly, glowing inside her, keeping her warm whilst all the others shivered. As she opened her eyes a tiny orange flame shimmered in her hands. Rin smiled as she gently reached into the makeshift fire place and put it there among the logs. Slowly it began to spread, sending beams of light among their part of the cave. She could see Unna, who had fallen asleep during her watch again. She was propped against the wall with her had lolling against her chest. Rin smiled fondly and got up, tugging one of the blankets over her before sitting back beside the fire. 

As she gazed into the flames, Rin traced a hand along the sandy floor. It felt good and rough against her skin. When she dreamed, it always took her somewhere far away. Sometimes that was a good thing, but at others it was scary. There was something safe and reassuring in waking up, in opening your eyes and seeing that you were safely back in your cave, that you were lying beside your friends. You are home with your roof over your head. You could hear everything moving within the cave walls. You are safe.  
And yet, Rin had dreamed again of flying. She dreamt of flying among the clouds on a great soft sky creature. She remembered a pain in her back. The moon above them. She remembered a cool feeling moving along her spine, hands touching her so gently. She remembered a kind faced young girl with dark skin and wide, concerned blue eyes. She remembered looking at her own skin and seeing long blue markings along her forearms. On other nights she dreamt of a palace, of a young man with broad shoulders and hair tied up into a knot on top of his head. She remembered his laugh as clearly as if he was in the room with her now. Then there had been dreams of an island guarded by a giant serpent, of painting her face with white powders and bright colours, of clasping a fan within her hand, of putting on armour and feeling the ground tremble beneath her feet. Sometimes she dreamt of the ocean, of freezing cold places surrounded by ice and snow like one of Baya’s stories. She dreamt of mountains that touched the sky or breathed fire like a dragon. 

But these were only dreams. Rin had never left the desert. She scarcely left these caves. She knew the tunnels like the back of her hand. She had grown up in them, played within them. She had been to the closest village once. The desert was her home, so why did her dreams take her so far away? 

“Rin, what are you doing? It is Unna’s turn to keep watch.”  
She looked up and saw Li as he entered their cave. He took off his goggles and dropped his scarf down on top of her head.  
“You’re back late,” she said. “Where have you been?”  
“I was out scouting the area.”  
“See anything interesting?”  
“Not tonight,” he said, sitting beside her. “Did Unna fall asleep again?”  
“Yes, don’t be hard on her though, she has been working hard all day.”  
“I struggle to believe that,” he said with a wry smile.  
Li was the oldest, the leader of their pack. He was the only one not from the desert. He had grown up in Ba-Sing-Sei and came to live in the desert when he was ten. He never talked about the world outside the desert other than to say it was a wicked and scary place. Rin had never had the courage to ask him about it. He was set in his ways and intimidating until you got to know him. He had a good heart and took his position as leader very seriously. He did everything in his power to make sure they never went hungry. He was fondest of Rin, who he had looked after since she was a baby.  
“She did,” Rin said, “She made us dinner.”  
“Did you light this fire?” he asked. “It’s very good.”  
“Yes,” she said. “I only made it little but it spread nicely.”  
“This is really good work,” he said honestly. “I’m proud of you, Rin. But I would like it if you’d sleep.”  
“If I sleep, who is going to watch the cave?” she asked.  
“Me,” he said, prodding himself in the chest.  
“You’ve been out scouting,” she said. “We should watch the cave together if you won’t let me do it on my own.”  
“Fine,” he said, “I see you’ve woken up stubborn so there’s no arguing with you.”

She grinned at him and curled into his arms, her head on his chest. Rin couldn’t wait until she turned thirteen. Then she’d be old enough to go and explore outside the cave with Li. He took her occasionally, but preferred going with Rao and Oma, sixteen year old twins and the strongest earth benders out of the whole pack – Li said it was because they had the best team-work. Unna sometimes went, but her sand-bending was clumsy at best. She couldn’t create great clouds of sand that masked them from view like the twins. Tayo was a fire bender and insisted he had to stay inside to keep their fires lit at night – in truth; Rin could tell he was just scared. He didn’t remember the fire nation or anything beyond the caves. Ganta had started going with Li and the twins, but that made more sense as Ganta had only joined them recently. He belonged out there. He was born among the dangers outside the cave. 

Speaking of Ganta...

“Where is Ganta, Li?”  
“Oh, he’s still up. He wanted to explore the caves.”  
“Fair enough,” she yawned. “Was he helpful?”  
“Out on patrol? Oh yes, he’s always helpful. We actually found a new trail to the village.”  
“You went to the village?” she asked.

That was unusual. Normally Li went out of his way to avoid dealing with people. He had always distrusted adults, even as a man. He said adults were always lied whereas children were honest and good natured. That was why they all lived out here. That was why Li had refused to join forces with any of the other hand tribes, despite being asked many times. He said they were better off without getting involved with adults. It was something every other member of the pack agreed with.  
Rin had never known her parents, she had been abandoned as a baby, but the others had all known theirs at some point. Unna was the first to join them; she had left home after a fight with her parents she never discussed, not even with Li. That had been nine years ago. Tayo was an immigrant, an orphan whose father had died in the war and his mother abandoned him when her new husband took a dislike to him. The twins had lived in one of the desert villagers, terrorising the place. They had originally come from a town outside of the desert but brought to live with their father after their mother passed away. The little kids had been taken in by Li after their mother died. He brought them back with him from a distant village one day during patrol. 

The eight of them were a family. Before Unna came, it had just been Li and Rin living in this cave alone. He used to sling her onto his back when he went on patrols; although Rin could scarcely remember a time before the others. 

“Yes,” he said. “We went to get more supplies. They have a night market on at the moment. Ganta found out about it. I brought us a lot of fruit.”  
“Mm,” she said happily. “I like the sound of that.”  
“You just like the sound of food.”  
“I do.”  
“So, did you have one of your dreams?” he asked.  
“I dreamt I hurt my back really bad and I was flying in the sky on a big sky creature.”  
“A sky creature? Like a dragon?”  
“No, it was fluffy with horns.”  
“That sounds like a sky bison,” Li said. “They are covered in fur and are wise, gentle creatures.”  
“I’ve never seen one.”  
“I used to have a picture book with lots of interesting creatures in,” he said. “Maybe you remember it from there? How did you hurt your back in the dream?”  
“I don’t know,” I said. “I just sizzled a lot, like I’d been hit with sparks. And there was a girl with blue eyes putting water on my back to help the pain stop.”  
“That sounds interesting,” he said. “Your dreams always take you so far away, little Rin. You are happy here, aren’t you?”  
“Yes,” she said. “Of course I am. This place is my home. Dreams are just dreams.”  
“I don’t dream scenes as vivid as yours,” he said. “You sure you don’t want to leave the cave?”  
“Well, I’d like to go on patrols with you,” she said. “Like we did when I was a baby.”  
“Hey, I only took you on patrol then because I couldn’t leave you on your own.”  
“I still got to go.”  
Li laughed, shaking his head and ruffling her hair.  
“You can come when you turn thirteen.”  
“It’s so far away though.”  
“You can go out in the day with me and Rao tomorrow,” he offered. “We’re taking the armadillo-dogs for a run. We’re only going along our territory, but if you wanted some fresh air?”  
“Yes!” she gasped, excited. “That sounds great! Can I really?”  
“I don’t see why not. I knew you were bored of being inside,” he said, smirking, leaning back and tugging his cap over his eyes. “Can’t hide nothing from me, missy.”  
“I can,” she said, knowing full well that she couldn’t. Rin settled down, her head on his knee.  
“Goodnight, little Rin.”

*

In her dream she was on a boat, a great long boat. Moonlight glittered across the water and she could hear the laughter of other passengers as they strolled past her. She was leaning back against an enormous white dog with the black eyes of a bear. It was soft and warm and the creature leant into her to keep her safe. Beside her was sat a handsome young man with dark brown hair and bright brown eyes. His lips were curved into a smile. He was talking, she was laughing. He reached over and took her head. She rested her head on his shoulder and the world was good. 

Mako, the boy with brown eyes was called Mako.


End file.
